


Listen to Your Heart

by TiPoLover_22



Category: Trolls (2016), Trolls: The Beat Goes On (Cartoon)
Genre: Broppy centered, F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:48:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23781871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiPoLover_22/pseuds/TiPoLover_22
Summary: To Poppy, Happiness was simple. Anyone could be happy if they got the right help! Unfortunately, a magic shampoo that could make Branch happy and cause him to fall in love with her was not what she considered "the right help".
Relationships: Branch/Poppy (Trolls)
Comments: 40
Kudos: 111
Collections: Best Broppy, Top Shelf Broppy





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> GUESS WHO DECIDED TO WRITE A NEW STORY EVEN THOUGH SHE ALREADY HAS LIKE 6 WIPS??!! THIS GIRL!!! Yeah, I'm not proud of myself, but I am proud of this fic. I'm going to try to keep this short, 5 chapters at the most! Anyway, I hope you guys like it!

The 20 Year Anniversary Freedom From the Bergens Party had gone off without a hitch. Just like Poppy knew it would! She knew Branch had been paranoid those two weeks ago, and because of that paranoia, he missed out on another great party. He missed out on a lot of things because of his fear for nothing. Honestly! They were safe! Couldn’t he see that?! 

She lifted up the scrapbook she had been working on to admire it. It was her and the Snack Pack all making a tower, with her right at the top and a rainbow shining over them. Her eyes trailed to the only spot on the paper devoid of color. She had put a tiny Branch in the scrapbook as well, right there with her on the top of the pyramid, hands together to keep balance. She even put a smile on his face! She wished he could be as happy as this tiny, scrapbook Branch. He didn’t have care in the world and he actually wanted to be her friend. He liked to sing and dance and not worry about the tiniest little thing. He didn’t destroy her invitations, berate her like she was a child, insult her lifestyle, interrupt the Morning Song, stay inside a stupid bunker all day, or deny her friendship. This tiny, Scrapbook Branch was nice, loved to sing and dance, and loved her invitations. 

Why couldn't the real Branch be like that? Why was he always so paranoid and afraid and mean and gray? What happened to him?! That was a mystery no one in the village knew. At least that’s what she believed. She didn’t want to go around asking about his business. What she wanted was for him to trust her and tell him herself. She wanted him to look at her and realize that he was safe and that he could tell her anything because that’s what friends are for. Of course, in order to do that, he had to see her as a friend. She sighed. Why was it so hard for him to be her friend? Was she doing something wrong? 

She closed the scrapbook and hid it under her bed. The last thing she needed was for her friends to find this specific Scrapbook. Her Branch Scrapbook, where she would scrapbook all her hopes and dreams of what it would be like if she and Branch were truly friends. The Snack Pack already didn’t like him or the way he treated her, but she knew there was happiness inside him somewhere and she was going to be the one to find it. 

She could hear the beginning of the morning song. Total Eclipse Of The Heart, huh? Looks like her people were in the mood for some feels. 

_Turn around_

_Every now and then I get a little bit lonely_

_And you're never coming 'round_

Poppy started to sing along, even though she was still in her pod. She'd join them in a second. 

_Turn around_

_Every now and then I get a little bit tired_

_Of listening to the sound of my tears_

Just a few more verses. It was all about presentation after all.

_Turn around_

_Every now and then I get a little bit nervous_

_That the best of all the years have gone by_

Almost!

_Turn around_

_Every now and then I get a little bit terrified_

_And then I see the look in your eyes_

And now! Her pod opened up just as she was about to sing. 

_Turn around, bright eyes_

_Every now and then I fall apart_

Everyone within hearing distance turned around to find that the princess had started singing along with her angelic voice.

_Turn around, bright eyes_

_Every now and then I fall apart_

Poppy jumped from mushroom to mushroom, quick to get to get friends. 

_And I need you now tonight_

_And I need you more than ever_

There they were! In the village square! 

_And if you only hold me tight_

_We'll be holding on forever_

She swung from a branch and landed on the mushroom behind them.

_And we'll only be making it right_

_'Cause we'll never be wrong_

They turned around, happy to see their friend. They started singing more happily.

_Together we can take it to the end of the line_

_Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time_

She blushed a bit when Creek gave her wink during the verse.

_I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark_

_We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks_

The entire village was now in a coordinated dance. 

_I really need you tonight_

_Forever's gonna start tonight_

_Forever's gonna start tonight_

_Once upon a time I was falling in love_

_But now I'm only falling apart_

_There's nothing I can do_ -

Someone cut the music. There were many variations of “Hey, what’s going on?!” 

Poppy turned to Suki with a questioning gaze. Suki wasn’t looking at her. She was looking down from her Wooferbug at something. Poppy followed her eyes and gasped. Branch was destroying the record! 

While everyone backed away, afraid of the grey troll, Poppy moved towards him. He was still stomping on the record, even though it was now just a billion little plastic pieces. “Branch, what's wrong?!” She knew he didn’t like singing, but he had never gone this far before. Just a sarcastic remark there, a bergen lecture here. But to destroy a record?! That was like a troll taboo! What was he thinking?! 

He looked up when he heard her voice and they locked eyes. For a second, it looked like he might calm down. But then he started to glare again. 

“I told you!” He took a step towards her, causing the trolls behind her to back away further. Poppy stayed in place though. “All this stupid singing and dancing is gonna get us killed! Sooner or later the bergens will find us!” Ok, something was definitely wrong! Usually his arguments were calm and collected. But right now he was furious. What was going on? “You think we’re safe just because it’s been 20 years? Well, guess what, Poppy?! Anything can happen!”

“Dude, calm down,” Cooper tried to reason.

“No, I will not calm down!” He started yelling at cooper. The poor troll started cowering behind her. “You’re what?! Eighteen?! You weren’t even there! You’re just as clueless as her! All of you are!” She pointed to her and all of her friends. He was glaring at her again. “Do you not understand what’s at stake here?! When the bergens find us, Trollstis will happen again! That means every year your family and friends will be eaten! EVERY YEAR!” Poppy started to hear murmurs of fear. Oh, no! Fear! Branch was getting to them! “It could even be _you_ one day!” Trolls around her started to gasp. “Is that what you want?! Trollstis to happen again?!” 

“Wh-what?!” That was outrageous! “No!” 

“Oh really?! Cause I don’t see you taking any precautions!”

“We’re perfectly safe!” She glared back at him. How dare he? 

“And how do you know that?!”

“I-I,” she stuttered. “My dad makes sure we’re safe every day.”

“Oh, your dad? Just your dad? Not you? Not _our future queen_?” He chuckled and Poppy could hear murmurs again. She glanced at her people. They looked like they wanted to agree with Branch, but they also didn’t want to upset her. “Face it, Poppy! You don’t know anything! You don’t know what it’s like to see children having to say goodbye to their parents! Or Parents having to say goodbye to their siblings! Or Parents having to say goodbye to their children! All the while fearing that one day it would be themselves! You live in this selfish little bubble where you don’t care about what’s going to happen! You only care about singing and partying!”

“Branch, please calm down.” Poppy watched as her dad placed a hand on Branch’s shoulder. Branch didn’t calm down per se, but he finally stopped yelling.

She watched as Branch shoved his hand away from him. “You enable her. Even when you know _exactly_ what it’s like.” 

“Branch, we do not have to live in fear.”

“Yeah, well maybe we should! Cause as long as Poppy is gonna be queen one day, Trollstis is gonna be right around the corner!” With one last glare to Poppy, he stormed off. Everyone started to relax a bit now that he was gone. 

Poppy looked to her dad when he put a hand on her shoulder. “He’s just angry, Poppy. Don’t listen to people when they’re angry. They often say things they don’t mean.” 

Poppy nodded. “Yeah, yeah, ok.” She smiled at her dad. His words were wise, but Branch had said things like this before. Like the day of the Freedom from the Bergens party. He made comments that she didn’t know anything other than singing and dancing and hugging. And it made her feel sad until Creek cheered her up. 

“The king is right, Poppy,” said troll spoke up. “Just don’t listen to him. Your reign will be full of peace and harmony.”

She smiled at him. Creek always had a way of making her feel better. “Thanks, Creek.”

“Creeks right,” Satin agreed. 

“Mmhm,” Chenille agreed with her twin. 

“You’re going to be great, Poppy,” Biggie comforted. 

“Yeah, you're gonna be amazing,” Fuzzbert hummed in agreement. 

“Yeah, dude,” Suki agreed. “Don’t listen to Branch.”

“Yeah, don’t,” Smidge yelled. 

“Your reign will be so sparkly,” Guy Diamond commented. 

“Yeah, Dawg,” Cooper agreed, giving Guy a high four. 

Poppy’s heart was swelling. Her friends were so great! “Oh, guys! Stop! I’m gonna start ugly crying!”

Just then, the bracelet on her wrist dinged. “Hug time,” Smidge yelled, going in for a group hug. 

“It is hug time,” Creek said to her and Poppy happily embraced him.

# ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜

After another song, just themselves, not the whole village, Poppy went back to her pod to, once again, Scrapbook. 

She got her Branch Scrapbook out of its hiding place and frantically started cutting new pages. When she was done, she opened the page to show Branch giving her a hug as they were surrounded by happy villagers. After a second, Scrapbook Branch said in a voice that was nothing like Real Branch’s, “You’re gonna be a great Queen!” And then glitter exploded behind them and the villagers started cheering. Poppy closed the scrapbook once the recording was finished and the glitter stopped flowing. That would suffice for the day. Unless she ran into Branch again, that is.

Why did she care so much about what he thought? His opinion of her had always been low. He never thought highly of her. Maybe when she was queen he would respect her more? But she didn’t want him to respect her just because she was queen. She wanted him to respect her because he saw her as his equal. There was a lot she wanted Branch to think of her as just because she was herself. But Branch would never think of her as someone worth admiring. 

But that didn’t mean he would never change his mind. She would keep trying to be his friend, she would keep trying to include him in everything, and she would keep trying to make him happy. He didn’t see her as his friend, but she saw him as hers. And all her friends deserved to be happy. 

There wasn’t much to do today as a princess. A few sapling welcomings with her father, six Quincen-hair-as to plan, a few egg hatchings to celebrate, and finally hosting a game of Bumper Bullseye Ball for the past four hours. The sun was now long behind the trees and there wasn’t going to be a party tonight. Maybe that would cheer Branch up. 

Why did she always have to think about Branch? Branch this, Branch that! Branch, Branch, Branch! Why?! Why couldn’t he just be her friend?! Maybe then he wouldn’t always be on her mind.

“Poppy!” 

Her head snapped towards her doorway as she slammed the Branch Scrapbook shut and threw it across the room. Smidge stood at the doorway with a confused looked on her face. 

“Sup, Smidge, what’s up,” she asked as casually as possible.

“Uuuuuuh,” Smidge took a glance at the scrapbook across the room before turning back to the princess. “Mandy asked you to meet her by the edge of the village right now.” 

“Mandy Sparkledust? The village Artisan? What does she need me for?”

“She said something about fixing all your problems.”

“My problems? Hm.” Poppy shrugged, not sure what problems Mandy could be talking about. “I guess I’ll go see what that means!” She got up off the floor and headed towards her door. 

“Right, right,” Smidge nodded, following her. “So what was that about?”

“What was what about,” she feigned ignorance.

“You threw something back there.”

Poppy shook her head. “I don’t remember that.”

“Ok?” 

“Hey, Smidge! I know you’re my right hand=potroll, but I think I’ll go talk to Mandy alone.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah! You can have a little break. I heard Biggie was making cupcakes!”

“That’s so nice of you, Poppy! Ok! I’ll see you later!” The small troll scurried off. No one could resist Biggie’s cupcakes.

Poppy finally made it to the edge of the forest and saw the yellow artisan pacing happily with a glittery, yellow mixture in her hand. 

“Mandy!” She called with a wave. 

The artisan looked excited to see her. “Princess Poppy! Oh, I’m so glad you could make it, dear,” the older troll gushed. “I need you to lead me towards the bunker.” 

“Oh, uh, Ok,” Poppy agreed happily. She forgot for a second that only she knew where the bunker was. She started walking the path she usually used. “Um, may I ask why we’re heading towards the bunker?” She wasn’t so sure Branch was in a good mood after this morning’s event. 

“Your Highness, I believe I found just the thing to fix all of your problems!” She held up the mixture.

“And what, exactly, are my problems?”

“Branch, sweetie, I’m talking about Branch.”

“Oh.” That would explain why they were headed to the bunker. She never really thought of Branch as a problem, just a challenge. 

“I believe I found just the thing to make him happy.”

Poppy stopped in her tracks, Mandy’s words echoing in her mind. “To make him...happy?” 

“Yes,” the older troll yelled, excitedly. “I’ll explain on the way!”

They were almost to the bunker when Mandy was done explaining. Poppy stopped in her tracks again, refusing to go any further. “Wait, so you’re saying that the shampoo,” she pointed to the mixture, “when put on his hair, will clear his mind of all things unhappy?”

“Causing him _to be_ happy! Think about it, Your Highness! If he forgets all these unimportant things, he’ll be a happier troll!”

Poppy nodded. “And you’re saying your mom did this all the time back at the troll tree?”

“Yes,” Mandy answered happily. “She would help bring happiness back to all gray trolls! Ever since we left the Troll Tree, there hasn’t been a gray troll except for Branch, so she almost forgot all about it! But then I found her old journal and how to make it! Oh, Princess Poppy! This is perfect for Branch!” 

Poppy nodded again. “Look, Mandy,” Poppy started reaching for the shampoo. “I’ll think about it.” Poppy grabbed the shampoo, but Mandy didn’t exactly let go. 

Mandy looked confused. She held the bottle a bit tighter. “Think about it? What more is there to think about?”

“Mandy, please let go,” Poppy calmly asked. 

“This could bring Branch happiness! Isn’t that what you always wanted? Why are you so hesitant now?”

“Look, Mandy, I do want Branch to be happy. But not like this! I want him to find happiness _despite_ the bad things, not because he can’t remember them! That’s not true happiness!”

Mandy looked even more confused. “But-but-but this could be his one chance at happiness, your highness!” Mandy started tugging the bottle.

Poppy started tugging back. “Happiness isn’t something, ugh, you put on your hair,” she yelled between grunts as she and Mandy continued this tug-of-war. “It’s already inside you! Sometimes, ugh, it just takes time, ugh, to find!” 

“What’s going on here?!” 

“AAAAAHH,” both women yelled at the angry voice. In their fear, the bottle slipped from their hands, lip popping off as it flew through the air, and the next thing they knew, a surprised Branch was covered in glitter shampoo. 

Both Poppy and Mandy stayed silent, wondering what he would do. “What is this,” he asked calmly. 

“A shampoo,” Poppy answered, her voice small. She glanced at Mandy who seemed to be frozen in fear. 

Branch nodded. Poppy was confused. Usually he would be yelling or berating her right about now. Was he not angry? Did the Shampoo work?! Only one way to find out! “Branch, how do you feel about a hug right now?”

He smiled at her. That wasn’t good. “A hug sounds nice right now.”

“Really?!” She and Mandy yelled in sync, one with excitement the other with horror. Poppy couldn’t believe it! The Shampoo worked! Oh, wait, no! He was glaring now. 

“NO! What are you two doing near my bunker?! And why are you two shouting?! What if a predator was nearby?! You two could’ve been eaten!”

“Um, Branch,” Poppy started. 

“What?!”

Should she tell him this? He looked like he was about to blow a fuse. But, hey, he was the one bringing up safety. “ _You’re_ shouting.” The look on his face made her immediately regret the decision. 

“ _Go away_ ,” he bellowed. 

And that was their sign to leave. “We’re going! We’re going!” Poppy grabbed Mandy’s hand and took off. Branch wouldn’t do anything to them, Poppy was 100 percent sure, but Mandy looked like she might faint if she wasn’t surrounded by her loving kids in the next four seconds. 

The two only stopped running once they made it to the village. After a few deep breaths, Poppy let out a, “Phew! Glad that’s over!” She turned to Mandy, who finally calmed down now that she was surrounded by colorful trolls and lights. “Mandy.” The older troll turned to her. “Please don’t ever try to do that again.”

“Do what again?”

“Give that shampoo to Branch.”

“But it could benefit him!”

“Mandy, please. Branch has the same potential as anyone else to be happy. He doesn’t need some magical shampoo to do that. We’re lucky it didn’t work! Branch needs to find that happiness inside him in his own time. Happiness isn’t something you can force yourself to be!”

Mandy looked like she was thinking about it. “I guess...I see your point, your highness. I just really thought this could make him happy. He’s been gray for so long.”

“Yeah, I know,” Poppy nodded. Branch had been gray for as long as she could remember. Was the shampoo really a bad idea? What was she thinking?! Of course it was! Branch could find happiness! “I think your kids are waiting for you at home.”

Mandy smiled at the mention of her kids. “Oh, your right! Thank you for your time, Princess Poppy. I promise I won’t bug you about this again.” 

“Thank you.” And with that, Mandy scurried on home. Poppy let out a sigh of relief. Music started to play in a distance and she watched as the villagers around her ran towards it. Guess there was going to be a party tonight. But Poppy didn’t feel like going to the party. Today was an emotional rollercoaster and she really needed some sleep. Letting out a yawn, she headed towards her pod.

# ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜

Poppy woke up refreshed. After yesterday’s horrible events, she felt today could only get better. The morning song hadn’t started yet, so she had some time to get ready. Though a bubble bath sounded amazing, a hot shower would suffice if she wanted to catch the morning song. Who knew what it would be today? After yesterday’s disaster, she hoped this song was something more upbeat. 

The music started playing the moment she put her dress on. “I Can’t Help Myself,” Poppy nodded, appreciatively. “Classic.”

Unlike yesterday, she wanted to start singing along immediately. Her pod opened up in sync with the surrounding ones.

_Sugar pie, honey bunch_

_You know that I love you_

She opted to take the slide down from her pod today instead of hopping on the mushrooms.

_I can't help myself_

_I love you and nobody else_

She made it to the end of the slide with a pose as she sang the verse.

_Sugar pie, honey bunch_

_I'm weaker than a troll should be_

Of course, now was the time to start heading towards the village square. Her friends would, no doubt, be there. They lived closer after all.

_I can't help myself_

_I'm a fool in love you see_

“Hey guys,” She yelled as she landed on the Mushroom next to Suki. The music played on as they talked. 

“Poppy,” they cheered. 

“Great pick for the morning song, Suki,” she complimented. 

“It was actually requested,” the bright pink troll informed. 

“Really?” Suki nodded. “By who?”

She shrugged. “They just left a note. But it’s for a good cause. They’re confessing!”

Biggie squealed. “I love ‘love’ confessions!”

“Me too,” Satin and Chenille sighed with similar dopey smiles. 

“I wish the troll good luck,” Creek smiled as he looked at Poppy. “Confessions aren’t easy.” 

Poppy smiled back before a thought crossed her mind. She gasped. “I wonder who the lucky troll is!”

_Wanna tell you I don't love you_

_Tell you that we're through_

Poppy noticed that a bunch of trolls were making way for someone specific. Oh! It was happening! It was happening!

_And I've tried but every time I see your face_

She saw a blue troll in a distance holding flowers. Oh, that had to be them!

_I get all choked up inside_

Everyone started singing in hushed voices, letting the confessor’s voice project. Huh. Poppy had never heard this voice before. They had such an angelic voice, though.

_When I call your name_

_Girl, it starts the flame_

The troll jumped from the branch they were on and started walking forward. Other trolls were quick to get out of his way. 

_Burning in my heart, tearing it all apart_

_No matter how I try, my love I cannot hide_

Oh, gah! He was coming their way! She looked to her friends, who seemed just as surprised.

_'Cause sugar pie, honey bunch_

_You know that I'm weak for you_

She started to smile, wondering which of her friends could be so lucky!

_Can't help myself_

_I love you and nobody else_

Maybe one of the twins? They were beautiful and had great fashion sense.

_Sugar pie, honey bunch_

_You know that I love you_

Or maybe Guy Diamond! He had such great charisma. She looked towards the troll to see that he was getting closer. She could see him clearer now. His skin was a beautiful, bright blue and his indigo hair had purplish glow when the sun was hitting it.

_I can't help myself_

Oh! And he had glitter freckles! Whoever he was confessing to was _so_ lucky!

_No, I can't help myself_

Poppy watched with a smile as the troll slid forward on his knees and held out the flowers. He sang the last verse with a beautiful smile.

_Sugar pie, honey bunch_

Now that the high of cuteness was over, Poppy realized something very important. The troll was holding the flowers out to _her_. She glanced at her friends, whose eyes and smiles were wide with anticipation. The only one who wasn’t smiling was Creek. He only looked confused. She looked back to the troll. “Wait, me?” 

“You,” he confirmed, his smile never wavering and his crystal, blue eyes never leaving hers. He stood up, looking a little shy. “Princess Poppy.” Ok, yup! Definitely her. “From the moment we met, I knew I couldn't help but fall for you.” Wait, was she supposed to know this troll? “You are kind, and sweet, and selfless. And you’re always there to help someone in need.” He reached for her hand. She was too mesmerized by his words to stop him. “Your voice is like the sweetest melody, I swoon at the sound of it! And your eyes! They’re like two pools, so deep, I fear if I dive in, I might never come up for air.” Poppy’s hand was on her heart now. She could hear some trolls crying at his beautiful words. “And your smile! The sun itself turns, jealous, and refuses to come out from behind the clouds knowing it could not shine half as bright.” 

Poppy had never been wooed before. She guessed her people didn’t think they had a chance with her. There was Creek, but he had never made a move. But this troll had just sung her a love song in front of the entire village and was now spitting poetry for all to hear. She felt her heart beat faster and her smile widening. Using her free hand, she grabbed the flowers, causing the troll's smile to widen. Even his eyes looked like they were smiling. His eyes looked very familiar. Maybe she did know him. She let out a breathy laugh. “I don’t even know what to say.” 

In an instant, he was down on one knee, now holding her free hand with both of his. “Say you’ll join me in the bunker for a candle-lit dinner.”

Biggie and Guy squealed. 

Suki and the twins unbiddenly said, “Yes”, with dreamy sighs. 

Smidge happily yelled, “Oh, my gah!” 

Fuzzbert hummed in approval. 

“I like this troll,” Cooper said. 

Creek stayed silent.

Her friends seemed happy for her to accept. And Poppy would have too. Except for one thing. “Did you say bunker?” She only knew one troll with a bunker. It couldn’t be!

“Yes,” he answered, happily. 

She saw it now. The eyes, the eye wrinkles, the nose, the _ears_! Her eyes widened. “Branch?!”

Literally every troll gasped. 

“Yeah,” he asked.

Poppy let out a shaky breath. “Your colors,” she whispered in horror. 

Branch stood up, looking at himself, confused. “What’s wrong with them?” 

Suddenly, new music started playing and the whole village started singing. 

_Celebrate good times, come on_

Poppy stared on in horror as villagers surrounded Branch, giving him a makeover. Halfway through the song, his hair was shinier, his skin clearer, and he had on a new outfit. They finally let Branch go and he stood next to her again, letting out a laugh. “That was fun!”

“Fun?!” He had to be kidding her! Oh, gah! The shampoo did work! No! This was all wrong! He was supposed to hate all of this! Singing, dancing, partying! _Her_! 

Wait! Why did he ask her out? He hated her? Did the happiness double as a love potion?! Or was it a love potion that doubled as a happiness potion? It had to be the latter! There was no way Branch could actually be in love with her. She had to get to Mandy!

“Yeah,” Branch clarified. “This is so fun!”

Poppy’s head snapped towards him. “Branch, you need to get out of here!” Before people started asking questions!

“Get out of here? No way, Poppy! C’mon!” He grabbed her hand and twirled her as he sang the next verse of the song. 

_There's a party goin' on right here_

Branch was a good dancer. And a great singer. But this was just too weird. How did she get him out of here? He was having too much of a good time. She looked around and her eyes landed on the flowers in her hand. “Our date,” she yelled, catching his attention. “You have to prepare for our date!”

He looked like the happiest troll alive. “Does that mean you’re saying yes?”

“Yup,” she answered quickly. “Yup! Now go!”

“Ok,” he happily agreed. Good, he was finally- He turned around. “Wait, when are you coming over?”

“Um, uh…” She thought about it. She had other things to do today. “Eight! I’ll be there at eight! Now go!” 

“Ok,” he agreed happily, again. This time, though, he grabbed her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles. “I’ll see you at eight!” 

She watched him go, her heart pounding and her mind shocked. Yup. It was definitely a love potion. 

“Uh, Poppy?” She turned to look at a very confused Creek. “What’s going on?”

“...I need to speak to Mandy.” She rushed off to try and find Mandy in all of the partying.

# ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜

Finding Mandy took almost an hour. She was with a few other parents watching over their partying kids. 

“Mandy,” she called. Mandy looked like a bug caught in a spiderweb. She looked very nervous. When she caught up to her, she sent a smile to the other mothers before turning to her. “I need to speak to you alone.”

Once they were alone, Mandy spoke up. “Your highness, I know you're upset! But if one good thing came out of this, it’s that the shampoo works!” She smiled brightly. 

Poppy looked at her incredulously. “No it didn’t! Mandy! You didn’t make a Happy Shampoo! You made a love potion!” She needed to calm down. Mandy didn’t deserve to be yelled at, she was just trying to help. 

Mandy didn’t seem upset, though, she seemed confused. “A love potion. That can’t be right. I followed the recipe exactly!”

Poppy stayed calm. “I don’t doubt that, Mandy. But how else can you explain Branch being in love with me.”

“Oooh, there is that,” she nodded.

“There is,” Poppy agreed. "You need to find the cure to this, Mandy."

"What?! But Branch is happy now!"

"He's under a spell! That's not real happiness!"

"But his colors are back!"

"Because of the love potion! Not because he's actually happy!" She sighed. "Look, Mandy. I really hate to do this, but..." She couldn't look Mandy in the eye as she said it. "As Princess of Troll Village, I order you to find a cure to this." 

Mandy gasped, a hand to her heart. She then nodded, solemnly. "I understand, your highness." 

Their bracelets dinged and both women were instantly in better moods. "Hug time," they both exclaimed as they embraced. When they let go, Poppy smiled. "Thanks for understanding, Mandy."

"Of course," the older troll smiled. "I'll start looking for the cure right away." They heard fireworks go off in a distance. "Right after the party," she amended. 

Poppy laughed. "Understandable."

"I'll send for you when I find something, your highness! Bye!"

Poppy watched as the yellow troll rushed back to the party. 

"Poppy." She froze at the sound of Smidge's voice. She turned to see said troll looking at her with crossed arms. "Something you want to tell me?"

"Ok, listen." Her expression showed that she was ready. "Branch didn't actually regain his colors."

"What?!" 

She nodded. "You see what happened was-"

She explained everything that happened that night. 

"So he's not actually happy," Smidge asked. 

Poppy shook her head. This was going to be a tiring day. "I have a ton of other things to do today and now I have a date on top of all of that!”

“You said yes?!”

“Only to get him out of here,” she hurriedly explained. “People were going to start asking him questions he wasn’t going to be able to answer! I already talked to Mandy about it. She’s looking for a cure. So, just spread the word of what happened. I don’t want people bugging Branch.”

“Ok, you got it, Poppy! I’ll tell the Snack Pack! What are you gonna do about your date?”

“I already told him I would be there. I can't bail now!" She took a deep breath. “But it’s fine. It won’t actually be a date. I’ll just tell him what’s going on. Maybe it’ll snap some sense back into him. It shouldn’t be too hard, right?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have decided that this story will be 5 chapters. So chapters might get a bit longer after this one. I hope you all enjoy this one!

If someone had told Poppy a week ago that Branch, The Village Grump, would regain his colors and sing the morning song with all the village, well, Poppy would have kindly asked that troll if they were feeling well that day. Well, here Branch was, with his colors, singing the morning song with them. And Poppy had no clue how to feel about that. She made sure to keep her distance from him since he date did not go well. 

She had tried to explain to him what happened, but every time she tried, he thought he was joking. It was like no matter how much she explained, he didn’t believe her. So she had stopped trying. 

Other than that, the date was great! Branch was the perfect gentleman, the food he made was amazing, the bunker looked beautiful lit up with candles, and she honestly had an amazing time. But, this was Branch. If it had been anyone else, the date would have been the definition of perfect! And she would’ve had the best time. But knowing it was Branch under the facade made it really hard to enjoy it. 

So as she landed on the floor, singing the last note, she tried to ignore that he landed right next to her, harmonizing with her perfectly. 

It was kind of hard to ignore him, though, when all her friends seemed so thrilled he was here. 

“Branch,” they all yelled before bringing him into a group hug. 

Poppy was glad to see that Creek wasn’t one of them. She stood by his side as her friends talked to Branch. 

“Branch, how was your sleep,” Biggie asked, his smile wide. 

“It was great, I had sweet dreams!”

“I see you’re wearing our new outfit,” the twins pointed out, looking at him dreamily. 

“I know! Don’t I look amazing in it?!” He struck a pose, causing the twins to squeal. He turned to Suki. “Thank you so much for letting me borrow your Cyndi Lauper record! I love her so much!”

“She’s amazing, right?!”

“They really shouldn’t be getting used to this,” Creek told Poppy. “They do know you're looking for a cure, right?”

“I think they forget that sometimes,” Poppy answered. These past three days, it’s like they always loved Branch. Would they even like him when he was back to normal?

“How’s your morning, my handsome friend,” Guy Diamond asked Branch. 

Branch smiled at her and Poppy mentally prepared for the compliment as he grabbed her hands. “It’s better now that I’m in the presence of our beautiful princess.”

While Biggie squealed, Poppy couldn’t help but think it was such a beautiful comment. If it had come from anybody else, she would have accepted it. But it didn’t. It came from Branch. And she knew how he actually felt about her. Nonetheless, she couldn’t stop the small smile forming on her lips. 

“Hello, Branch,” Creek interrupted. 

Branch smiled at him, confused. “Who are you again?”

Poppy wanted to laugh at Creek’s face. Ever since Branch took the potion, it’s like Creek was a complete stranger to him. She had no idea why, but she found it hilarious every time. Poppy patted the purple trolls back as Branch continued to talk with her other friends. “Don’t worry, Creek, he’ll remember you when he’s back to normal.”

“What a joy,” Creek replied. 

Poppy giggled. She turned back to the conversation. Somehow it turned into a beatboxing competition between Suki and Branch, with Cooper as the judge. Branch was so talented. He had a great voice, could bust an awesome move, and now he had killer beatboxing skills. Was he really this talented? Or was it all a result of the Shampoo? 

Cooper had declared Branch the winner and Suki wasn’t even mad. Soon, another competition started with Aspen Heitz. So, while Branch was busy, Poppy decided to talk with her friends.

“Guys, please do not get used to this,” she pleaded, repeating Creek’s words. “You know I’m finding a cure, right?”

They all groaned. “Oh, Poppy,” Biggie said, sounding disappointed.

“Please don’t be a downer,” Chenille pleaded.

Poppy stared at her friends, astonished. “A downer? I just wanna turn our friend back to normal!”

“But he wasn’t even our friend before this,” Biggie reminded. 

“Yeah,” Cooper agreed. “He’s no longer a party pooper!”

“Yeah,” Suki and Smidge agreed. 

Fuzzbert also hummed in agreement. 

Guy stayed quiet.

Poppy sighed. “You guys! This isn’t right! That’s not the real Branch. He’s under a spell!”

“We know, we know,” Satin started. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun! I mean, didn’t you always want him to like you!” 

“Well, yeah! But because he wanted to be my friend! Not because he’s under some spell! You guys have to understand that!”  
“Branch isn’t himself and it isn’t right,” Creek explained, coming to her aid. They smiled at each other before Creek turned back to their friends. “Using the shampoo was an accident, he never actually chose to use it. So this isn’t right, ok guys?”

The Snack Pack looked a bit guilty. They all agreed with Creek and for that Poppy was grateful.

# ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜

After a few more rounds, the trolls decided it was time to start the day. Poppy waved bye to her departing friends as she prepared for her own activities. 

Branch appeared beside her in a second. “What’s the plan for today, Poppy?” 

Poppy had yet to tell him she did not feel the same way, so Branch got the idea in his head that they were a couple. Which meant he tagged along with her in everything these past few days. She forced a smile. “You know, Branch! Actually, this morning is gonna be pretty boring. I’m just gonna be preparing courses for the Musical Thrones Tournament in a few hours. It’s gonna be so boring! You should probably go do something fun! Like stock up your bunker,” She tried. 

“Poppy, any time is fun when I’m with you.” He grabbed her hand and started walking them towards the stadium. Poppy didn’t have the heart to pull it away. “Besides, the bunker will be fine! I have enough provisions to last me ten years.”

Poppy blinked. That was the most “Branch” thing Branch had said these past three days. “Ten years?!” Come to think of it, she’d never fully seen the Fear Bunker. She only caught glimpses on their “date”. 

“Yup,” Branch replied, proudly. “I can give you a tour!”

Poppy’s mind was filled with possibilities of what could be lying in the wake of the bunker. “That sounds great!”

“Great,” Branch smiled brightly. “We can go after we’re done! Ya know, unless you’re hosting.” 

Poppy groaned. She was hosting. If it had been any other event, she probably could’ve gotten Smidge to do it. But she and Biggie were Champions at this and they would never bail.

Branch must’ve understood that, for he squeezed her hand, causing her to look at him. “Tomorrow, then?”

Poppy thought about it. She didn’t have too much to do tomorrow. She smiled at him. “Tomorrow!”

And so, as the hours went by, they talked about nothing but the Bunker. 

...

“-it’s soundproof, but that doesn’t mean I can’t hear what’s going on outside.”

“How does that work?”

“Well, I have these tubes-

…

“The entire Bunker is lit up by fireflies and glowbugs!”

“Oh my gah! Really?!”

“Yup! My favorite glowbug is Sprite, but don’t tell her. It’ll go to her head.”

…

“You have a well?!”

“Yeah, but I didn’t mean to. I just dug way too deep when I first started digging-”

…

Poppy was having the time of her life learning everything about the Bunker! And the best thing was that she would get a tour tomorrow! Oh! It was going to be so fun! Poppy looked at Branch as the next round of Musical Thrones started, Smidge and Biggie in the lead. He seemed so content and happy. Poppy was glad when he asked if he could join in on hosting and found his wide smile adorable when she said yes. Sometimes it was so easy to forget that he was under a spell. Talking to this happy Branch felt so natural! But it also felt wrong. Especially when she knew this wasn’t the real Branch she was talking to. The real Branch would never host a Musical Thrones Tournament. The real Branch would never give her information about the Bunker. The real Branch would never join in on the morning song. And, when Branch caught her staring and smiled at her, she couldn’t help but remember that the real Branch would never see her as someone worth admiring. 

She gave him a sad smile before turning back to the tournament.

# ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜

As usual, Biggie and Smidge had won the tournament. The sun was already behind the horizon causing the sky to be both purple and orange. It was a beautiful timing since everyone wanted to throw a party to celebrate! 

Poppy watched as Branch joined in on a coordinated dance to Shut Up and Dance. Again, she had to wonder if his talent was so good and now there was nothing to hold him back or if it was just a result of the shampoo. 

“How are you doing?”  
She turned away from the blue troll and met purple. “I’m doing fine,” she answered as she turned back to Branch. “It’s just so weird to see him like this, ya know.”

“I know,” Creek agreed. 

“I mean, I’ve always wanted to see him like this, just...not like this? You know what I mean?”

Creek chuckled. “I do.” They both watched Branch for a few seconds before Creek turned to her again. She had been stressing out about Branch for far too long. She needed a break. He bumped her arm with his elbow. “Why don’t we dance?”

Poppy had a relieved smile. “I’d love to!”

Creek grabbed her hand and they started dancing together. Soon, the chorus came up and Creek started singing along.

_Oh don't you dare look back_

_Just keep your eyes on me_

_I said you're holding back_

Poppy sang the next verse as he spun her.

_She said shut up and dance with me_

They were having so much fun, they didn’t see Branch freeze in his spot when he saw them.

“Branch, are you ok?”

Poppy was brought out of whatever fun she was having when she heard the question. She turned to look at Branch, who was holding his head as if he were in pain. She let go of Creek’s hands and shoved her way through the concerned trolls. “Branch, what’s wrong,” she asked once she got to him. He looked so...sad. 

“I don’t...I don’t…” He finally lifted his eyes to meet hers. It was as if when he saw her, whatever had caused this was gone. He smiled at her and grabbed her hands. “How could anything be wrong when you’re here.” 

Poppy heard a collective “Aaaw!” 

Poppy decided Branch needed to get away from this party. She closed her fingers around his hands and started dragging him to her pod. The music continued as they made it to her pod. Once inside, she could finally hear herself think. She looked at Branch, who was looking around, excitedly. “Hey?” He turned to her with a smile. “Are you ok? It’s just us. You can tell me what’s wrong.”

Branch looked so confused. “Whatta you mean?” 

“You kinda had a moment back there, Branch. Are you sure everything’s fine?”

His huge smile was genuine. “I’ve never been better.”

Poppy sighed. This had to be something faulty about the shampoo. Her smile was a strained one as she said, “I’ll go get you some water.”

Branch watched her go, his heart fluttering. Poppy was so kind and considerate. And sweet and amazing. And wonderful and beautiful! Poppy was everything he could ever ask for! From the moment she had given him that first invitation, he knew he was in love. He looked back at the memory. He remembered her beautiful smile, her sparkling eyes, her kind words-

And then there was a blank. The invitation was stored safely in his bunker, but he didn’t remember accepting it. In fact, he couldn’t even remember going to the party. Branch had realized a lot of his memories, or lack thereof, were like that. He couldn’t exactly tell why the memories seemed off. He just felt like there was something missing. 

He looked around Poppy’s pod. There were shelves full of books, which meant Poppy loved to read. Hm. He didn’t know that. There were some decorative jars on the shelves too. There was even a beautiful chandelier made up of small, glowing pods. What really caught his eyes, though, was an entire wall full of portraits. There, he could see the entirety of the Snack Pack. Even that one purple troll! Creek, was it? 

He smiled at all the photos, trying to find himself. But he couldn’t find himself. Every blue always turned out to be someone else. Why wouldn’t Poppy have a portrait of him? Maybe he was higher up? He backed up, trying to see the photos that were closer to the ceiling, only to bump into a table behind him. He turned around to find a Scrapbook with his name on it. 

When he opened it, he was very confused. There was a Scrapbook version of a troll. That was his outfit, those were his ears, but those were not his colors. Why was he gray? He started flipping through the pages, each page making something click in his mind. Like how he didn’t remember going to the Pizza Party a few months ago. But, in this Scrapbook, his little gray self was having a great time with a pizza in his hand! And how he had no recollection of the Forest Festival last year, but little gray Branch was happily eating some cotton candy with scrapbook Poppy. He flipped through a few more pages, his smile growing wide. This was exactly what he was missing! These scrapbooked events fit the blanks in his mind perfectly!

Except for one thing. Why was he gray? Did that mean what Poppy had told him on their date was true? That he really did used to be gray? That he hated singing and dancing and hugging? If all of that was true, it meant that she was also telling the truth when she said she tried to help him find happiness. Looking at his blue skin, she had achieved that. 

Of course she had achieved that! She was so selfless and amazing! He turned to the last used page of the Scrapbook. Gray Branch and Scrapbook Poppy were hugging. A recording played and he smiled. Looking at the date, it was the day before he had finally confessed. This must’ve been the day he finally became happy! He closed the scrapbook with a huge smile. His ear flicked when he heard footsteps coming. He turned his head in time to see Poppy walk in with a tray. 

“You know,” she started as she set the tray down. “I figured you’d be hungry too, so I made you- Oh,” she let out when Branch suddenly brought her into a hug. 

“You’re gonna be a great Queen,” he said.

Poppy almost gasped. He did not just say that. There’s no possible way he just said that! Branch would never say something like that! This had to be a dream! No! It had to be the shampoo! Branch didn’t actually think that. He didn’t. And yet… “Do you really mean that?”

“Of course I do,” he answered, hugging her tighter. 

She had always wanted Branch to say that. This was like a dream come true! Branch would be his normal self soon, once Mandy found the cure. Where he could be alone, hate hugs, and insult her all he wanted. So, for now, why couldn’t she have this? She finally returned the hug.

# ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜

For the past week, Poppy didn’t leave Branch’s side. They were always singing together, dancing together, walking together. It was as if the princess was completely taken with the once gray troll. She smiled with him, she laughed with, she even held his hand willingly. It worried Creek to no end. No one else seemed to be taking it seriously, though. 

“It’s not that we’re not taking it seriously,” Guy explained. “It’s that you’re too worried.”

“Too worried?! Look at them!” Creek gestured towards them. Just then, Branch picked a flower and handed it to Poppy, who took it with a huge smile.

Guy shrugged. “I see a cute couple.”

Creek stuttered at Guy’s indifference. “You wanna know what I see?”

“Not really.”

“I see another situation that’s going to end in Poppy getting hurt.” 

“So what I’m hearing is you have no faith in her?” Guy raised a brow. 

“What?! No! I have faith in my friend!”

“Then act like it.”

Creek wanted to scream! Why was Guy not understanding? “Look, I just don’t want her crying because of him again.” Creek glared in Branch’s direction. “She’s getting too used to this. Has she even checked in with Mandy?”

“She checks in with Mandy every day, Creek. You need to stop worrying and start giving Poppy the credit she’s due.”

“The credit she’s due? What credit?! Look at her Guy!” 

Guy did. In that moment, their hug time bracelets went off and Poppy literally _jumped_ into Branch’s arms. Guy was usually one to hug himself around this hug time, but Creek looked like he could use one. “I think she knows what she’s doing.”

Creek hugged him tighter. “And I think she’s just going to get hurt. He’s under a potion, Guy. He doesn’t really love her. What is she going to do when Mandy finds the cure? When Branch no longer acts like she put up the sun? When he no longer spouts beautiful poetry about how amazing and beautiful she is? When he won’t even smile at her?!” He broke the hug halfway. “What is she going to do, Guy?” 

Guy shook his head. “I don’t know. But I know she’ll brave it with a smile.” He fully broke the hug this time and turned back to the happy couple. “She always does.”

Creek did the same, only he glared at Branch. “If she cries because of him one more time, I swear I’ll-”

“Take it easy, yellow pants,” Guy laughed. “I have a feeling everything will be alright.” He grabbed Creek’s hand and dragged them towards the couple, finally joining their friends.

# ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜

Poppy had the time of her life this week. Hanging out with Branch was everything she had ever hoped it could be. She hadn’t noticed it before, trying to avoid him in the beginning, but Branch still acted like Branch. He was still sarcastic sometimes, still liked his alone time, and still enjoyed silence. 

She had almost gasped when he first made a sarcastic comment. They had gone to the beach to have some fun, which Poppy was sure Branch thought was a date. While Branch took his precious time setting everything up, Poppy got impatient and asked if they were going to do anything. He replied, “No, Poppy. We’re just gonna sit here all day.” And then he smirked that smug little smirk he always smirked. It was just so Branch.

And when he decided to stay in his Bunker for the day, she almost fainted. The thing was, she had canceled all her plans that day to hang out with him. So when he had asked if she wanted to join, she said yes. And the bunker had stayed silent that day. And even though Poppy had been itching to sing or dance, she had stayed silent for Branch’s sake. He had still hugged during hug time, though.

So, even though Branch now sang, and danced, and hugged, he was still… him. It was as if the love/happiness shampoo just got rid of all of his worries and this was the person he could’ve been without all that paranoia and anxiety. Maybe she should ask Mandy about the potion more.

“Bonnie Tyler was amazing,” Suki gushed, interrupting Poppy’s thoughts. “I have all the old albums!”

Branch blinked. “Who is that?”

“Who, Creek,” Biggie asked, pointing at the barely arriving Creek. 

“No, I know Creek!” Branch gave him a wave and the purple troll returned it. “I mean, who’s Bonnie Tyler?”

The Snack Pack gasped. Poppy gaped at her friend. “Branch, you don’t know who Bonnie Tyler is?” He only Shrugged. 

“You don’t know Holding Out For A Hero,” Smidge asked.

“Angel Heart,” the twins suggested. 

“Straight From the Heart,” Biggie tried.

“Oooh, Total Eclipse of the Heart,” the Snack Pack asked in sync. 

Some of those songs sounded familiar. Except… “Total Eclipse of the Heart?”

“Ok, ok,” Poppy started. She let go of Branch’s hand and almost cooed at his pout before standing in front of the Snack Pack. “Ok, guys, a one, two, three, four!”

_Tonight_

_Forever's gonna start tonight_

_Forever's gonna start tonight_

Usually, Branch loved listening to the sweet voice of beautiful love. But this song...

_Once upon a time I was falling in love_

_But now I'm only falling apart_

This song wasn’t making him feel happy.

_There's nothing I can do_

_A total eclipse of the heart_

In fact, it was making him feel the _opposite_ of happy.

_Once upon a time there was light in my life_

_But now there's only love in the dark_

He put his hands on his head. It was starting to hurt.

_Nothing I can say_

_A total eclipse of the_ -

“Stop,” he yelled. “Please, stop! Please, stop. Please, stop,” he whispered. 

Poppy stared at Branch for a second. She glanced at her friends, who also looked extremely worried. She walked up to him and took his hands in hers. “Branch, what’s wrong?”

“I-” He couldn’t look her in the eye. “I don’t like the song. I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok, Branch,” Poppy assured. “It’s ok! You don’t have to like every song. There are certain songs even I don't like.”

“Y-yeah,” Suki agreed, worry evident in her voice. “I personally can’t stand catchy songs. They always get stuck in your head!”

This caused Branch to let out a laugh. Soon, everyone agreed that you didn’t have to like every song. Even so, it seemed Branch had enough social interaction today. He turned to Poppy. “Will you walk me home?”

Poppy nodded with a huge smile. He was so adorable. “Of course.” She turned to her friends as Branch grabbed her hand. “I’ll be back, guys!” And with that, they were off to the bunker. 

Biggie squealed. “Oh, they’re so cute!”

“They are,” Satin gushed. 

“Yes,” Chenille agreed. 

“They’re like the perfect couple,” Suki yawned. 

“They’re so perfect I wanna squish them so hard they puke,” Smidge yelled. Fuzzbert hummed in agreement. 

“I want them to puke rainbows,” Cooper nodded in agreement. 

Smidge nodded with him before they high fived. “Cooper’s got the right idea!”

Creek groaned. “You guys!” They all looked at him. “He’s under a spell! Mandy’s finding a cure! Do you remember that?” 

“Creek,” they all groaned. 

“C’mon, man,” Suki shook her head. 

“Don’t be such a party pooper,” Cooper complained. 

Creek’s hand went to his heart. Guy sputtered beside him as the rest of the Snack Pack went back to talking about the “beautiful couple”. Creek glared in the direction the two had gone. He really did not like Branch.

# ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜

As Poppy walked Branch home, she couldn’t help but think about what happened. This wasn’t the first time Branch had acted like that. She remembered he was like this at Biggie’s and Smidge’s celebration. She had no idea what caused that, just like she had no idea what caused this. So when she dropped Branch back at his bunker, him kissing her hand in farewell, she rushed over to Mandy’s. 

Mandy looked up the moment she walked in. “Poppy,” she exclaimed happily. “I’m glad you're here!”

“Me too, because I need to talk to you.”

Mandy tilted her head to the side. “What about?” 

“The shampoo.”

“Oh, that’s great! Because I have good news!”

“What is it?” 

“I found this book at my mother’s pod!” She held up a book that looked extremely old. “I don’t know whose it is, but it has more information about the shampoo! Look!” She opened the book to a marked page before stepping away and rubbing her temples. “Sorry, sorry,” she apologized. “It’s just, reading it gives me a headache.”

Poppy’s brows furrowed. “That’s alright.”

Mandy was back to normal in a second. “Ok, so, this book has everything about it. My mother’s journal was just the ingredients and the basics of what it would do. Right here, it shows side effects, thought processes, interviews of those who used it.”

Poppy read a few sentences. That was weird. It was written as if it were a diary. She started flipping through the pages. “Does it say anything about love,” she asked, hoping to find an answer to the Love potion side of the shampoo. 

“Well, your highness, I haven’t read all of it yet, but…” Poppy wondered why she sounded so nervous. She flipped more pages. “...so far, I haven’t read anything about it causing someone to fall in love.”

Poppy stopped flipping the pages for a second. “I’m sure it does somewhere.” She started flipping again, skimming to find something, anything, about a love side effect. 

“Princess Poppy, with this new information...and lack of others...it might be time to consider that, maybe, just maybe, Branch is actually in love with you.” 

Poppy started flipping and skimming faster. “Not possible.” It hurt to say it, because she was kind of getting used to being treated the way Branch treated her. 

“Well, there are rumors saying it might be true. That it’s probably the reason he was mean to you the most.”

“You’re not mean to the people you love.” He couldn’t be in love with her. Because if he was, and he had been hiding it all this time, it would kill her inside when she had to reverse the shampoo. She made it to the last page of the book all too soon. The ink that had been used to write the diary was black this whole time. But this last page was written in red. And unlike the rest of the book, where each line was filled with a perfect sentence, a single sentence filled the whole page. When she read it, she gasped. 

Mandy seemed worried. “You’re highness, what is it?”

“...The cure.”

Mandy gasped. “Well this is great! What is it?!

Poppy thought she wouldn’t think it was so great once she answered. Slowly, with trembling hands, she closed the book. “I have to remind him of the reason he turned gray.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY GOD!!!! YOU GUYS HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I LOVED WRITING THIS CHAPTER!!! OH, I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY THE LITTLE SURPRISE I PUT IN HERE!!!!

Branch had been gray for twenty years. 

Poppy had known this all her life. Well, not all her life. There was a time she didn’t even know he existed. 

# ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜

_Poppy had nothing to do today. One would think her friends would throw her a surprise party for her Thirteen and three quarters birthday, but she guessed not. So, here she was, wandering through the forest. Her dad had always told her not to go too deep into the forest because it was dangerous. But, honestly, how dangerous could it be? She hadn’t seen anything dangerous so far. Only a few cute critters._

_That’s when she spotted the cutest little critter. It had a curved shell, and cute little antennas! She took a step forward, but it backed away. She took another step and it backed away further. No! It had to like her! She was very friendly! She started chasing it. As it ran behind some bushes, she followed…_

_…And then started falling. Screaming was all she could do before she felt something around her ankle. “Huh,” she let out before looking up. She could only see a silhouette as the sun glared behind her savior. She screamed again when she started being pulled upwards. The screams died down when she realized she was in someone’s arms. She opened her eyes and almost gasped as crystal blue eyes glared back at her. Then those eyes widened. “Poppy?” He quickly put her down and backed away, getting a good look at her._

_Poppy was very confused. She had never met this troll before. She was pretty sure she’d remember meeting a gray troll. “Do I know you?”_

_The troll turned away from her with a huff. “No, but I know you.” He picked up a pile of sticks that were on the ground. He didn’t look back at her as he said, “Let’s go.”_

_She looked back at the bushes. There was a whole line of them! No one would ever notice there was a cliff behind them. What else was the forest hiding? Suddenly she realized why her dad didn’t want her in here. She ran to the gray troll, very afraid now. “C-can I hold your hand?” She reached for it before he could answer._

_Suddenly, he backed away. “No,” he said with a stern look. He started walking forward again. “What are you doing out here, princess?”_

_Poppy sighed. She could really use a hug right now. “I think people are only my friends because I’m the princess.”_

_“What makes you say that?”_

_Poppy felt like crying. “None of my friends remembered my three quarters birthday.”_

_The gray troll stopped in his tracks. “Your what?”_

_“You know, my three quarters birthday. It’s going to be my real birthday in three months.”_

_“Then why do you care about today? Why not your real birthday?”_

_Poppy gasped. Did he not know the importance of a three quarters birthday?! “A troll’s three quarters birthday is a very important time!”_

_“Oh yeah, how?” Poppy couldn’t answer that. “Wonderful! Just another stupid holiday you guys created as, yet, another excuse to party.”_

_Poppy glared at him. “It’s not stupid!” She could feel the tears in her eyes. “It’s a very important holiday to me! And all of my friends know this! And they still forgot about it! And I’m really upset,” she sobbed. She really didn’t like this troll!_

_“Ok, ok, ok,” the gray troll whispered in a panic. “Please stop yelling!” He put a finger to her lip. “Do you know how many predators can hear you?! Let’s go!” In the end he did end up holding her hand. “You shouldn’t even be in the forest. It’s dangerous.”_

_Poppy furrowed her brows and sniffed. “But you’re in the forest.”_

_“I can protect myself. You can’t.”_

_“You don’t know that!”_

_“Can you tame a wild puffalo?”_

_“Well, no-”_

_“Can you outrun a growlbeast?”_

_“Not exactly-”_

_“Do you even know how to get out of a Tarantacapuff’s web?”_

_“You can do that?”_

_“Yes, I can! I’m always prepared for whatever danger comes my way.”_

_That sounded like it took a lot of time. “When do you have time for hugging and singing?”_

_The gray troll gagged. “I don’t hug and I don’t sing.”_

_Poppy gasped. “But hugging and singing is the troll way of life! You can’t just not hug and sing!”_

_“No offense, princess, but I haven’t hugged or sang in ten years. So, yes, I can just not hug and sing.”_

_Poppy pouted. This troll was horrible. Who didn’t like hugging and singing?! It took them a few more minutes to make it to the village. The gray troll finally let her hand go, but only to push her forward. She stood still._

_The gray troll gave her a look. “Well?”_

_“Well what?”_

_He sputtered. “Go home!”_

_Poppy crossed her arms. “I don’t want to.”_

_“You don’t want to?!”_

_“Nope!”_

_“Go away!”_

_“No!”_

_“Gah, you’re so annoying!”_

_“You are too!” Her eyes widened. She just realized that was the first time anyone had ever insulted her. “I’ve decided!” She smiled at the gray troll. “I’ll hang out with you today!”_

_“Wh-what?! No you will not!”_

_“Yes,” Poppy exclaimed, gears turning in her head. “I’ll hang out with you today! This’ll be fun! We’ll be best friends and braid each other’s hair-”_

_“Do not even think about touching my hair!”_

_“-and we’ll make friendship bracelets and hug-”_

_“I swear to gah if you hug me!”_

_“-and you’ll remember my three quarters birthday!” Poppy stared at the floor. She couldn’t deny it. She really thought her friends were her friends. But they all just called her by her status. And they were always so happy to be friends with Princess Poppy. What about just regular Poppy? Was being a princess the only reason she had friends? Her thoughts were interrupted by the gray troll asking a question. “What?” She had missed the question._

_The gray troll sighed loudly and rolled his eyes. “If I give you a present for your birthday-”_

_“Three quarters birthday,” she corrected._

_He glared at her. “If I give you a present for your three quarters birthday, you have to promise to leave me alone.”_

_Her eyes widened. A present?! She smiled up at him. “Ok!”_

_“Ok,” the gray troll nodded. He put his sticks down and started looking around before heading over to a small patch of flowers. She followed him and watched as he picked some blue flowers and started braiding them together. He was making a flower crown! Oh, he was so sweet!_

_She gladly stood still as he placed the crown on her head. She smiled up at him. “Do I look pretty?!”_

_“Yes,” the troll answered immediately, a small smile on his face. Then his eyes widened and his cheeks darkened. He rushed over to pick up his sticks. “We made a deal!” He glared at her. “Now leave me alone!” He started walking back in the forest._

_“W-wait!” She reached her hand forward._

_The gray troll sighed before turning to look at her again. “What?!”_

_She let her hand fall. “I still want to hang out with you.”_

_His eyes widened. Soon, they settled back to their usual glare. He, once again, put his sticks down and pulled a pen out of his hair. He grabbed a nearby leaf and started writing something. Poppy tiptoed to try to see what it was, but he was already done. “Here!” He shoved the leaf in her hands. “If you’re in danger, and only if you’re in danger,” he picked up his sticks before looking at her again. “Those are the directions to my bunker.” Poppy looked at the leaf and, sure enough, there was a map drawn on it. When she looked back at the gray troll, he was already walking back to the forest._

_It was only when he was just a small dot in the forest did she remember something. She cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, “What’s your name?!” There was no answer. He was probably already too far to hear her._

_“...Branch!”_

_Poppy gasped. He had heard her?! A huge smile grew on her face. “Branch,” she said the name to herself. It was a good name. The smile didn’t falter as she walked home._

# ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜

In the end, her friends had remembered her three quarters birthday. She was just late to the party. 

She remembered she had spent the entire party asking around if anyone knew Branch. She had wanted to know everything about her new friend! But no one had answers to her questions. They all only told her to stay away from him. That she would catch his unhappiness. But that wasn’t fair! Everyone deserved to be happy! She asked her final question about him. How long had he been gray? Since they escaped the Troll Tree. Ten years. That was the day she had decided she wanted to make Branch happy. 

Ever since then, she had done everything to become his friend and teach him to be happy. 

What she had to do to bring him back to himself was against everything she stood for. She had to remind him why he turned gray in the first place. Was she going to be able to do that? Was she going to be able to tell her friend the most traumatic event of his life?

And, yes, just her friend! There was nothing going on between them. Branch did not like her like that! Poppy scoffed at Mandy’s words yesterday. Might actually be in love with her, was she serious?! Branch had made it perfectly clear how he felt about her these past few years! There had to be something in this mystery person’s journal about there being a love side effect. 

She opened a random page and started reading. “The shampoo does everything in its power to keep you safe from your gray thoughts. If you are reminded of things that make you gray, you might get a headache. The worse the reminder, the worse the headache. This means the shampoo is working hard to keep the gray thoughts out.” Poppy thought about it. Branch had a headache at Smidge’s and Biggie’s party. But she hadn’t known what caused it. She knew Total Eclipse Of the Heart had caused his headache yesterday. And it had seemed worse than the party one. Why would a simple sad song make him feel so gray? 

She was so deep in thought she hadn’t heard the music that had been playing for the morning song. Her heart literally stopped! They were playing Total Eclipse Of the Heart! She started to hyperventilate! This was not good! When Branch was telling her about the bunker, he had told her about the tubes that lead to the bunker. About how he enjoyed listening to the morning song. She didn’t know if it had been the shampoo talking, but she knew that he could definitely hear the morning song happening right now! She had to change the song somehow!

Bursting out of her pod, she did something no troll had ever done before. She started singing a different song. 

_All through the night_

_I'll be awake and I'll be with you_

Trolls were looking at her confused. What was she doing?!

_All through the night_

_This precious time when time is new_

She waved her hand towards others, trying to get them so sing along.

_Oh, all through the night today_

_Knowing that we feel the same without saying_

Some started to.

_We have no past, we won't reach back_

_Keep with me forward all through the night_

Which made others start to.

_And once we start the meter clicks_

_And it goes running all through the night_

She started heading towards the village square.

_Until it ends, there is no end_

As the instrumental played, she could still hear Total Eclipse Of the Heart in a distance. When she made it to Suki, she was furious. “Suki!”

She put up her hands in surrender. “I didn’t start this! I swear!”

Poppy realized Suki didn’t even have her Woofer Bug. She was so confused. “Then who did?”

“I don’t know, but we’re about to start singing again.”

Poppy could hear the instrumental coming to an end. “Ok, ok! Can you please carry the song that way. I still hear Total Eclipse Of the Heart.” 

Suki nodded and started heading in the direction just as the song continued.

_Oh the sleep in your eyes is enough_

_Let me be there let me stay there awhile_

Finally, by the time the chorus came again, the whole village was singing All Through the Night.

_We have no past, we won't reach back_

_Keep with me forward all through the night_

_And once we start the meter clicks_

_And it goes running all through the night_

_Until it ends there is no end_

Poppy let out a sigh of relief as the music ended. Everyone started complimenting her on her song choice and how brave she was to change the song once it had already started. She had dodged them all, trying to find Suki so they could find who started the song. Instead of Suki, she found Creek. She smiled. “Creek! Oh thank goodness! I need your help finding out who started the morning song! We have to explain to them why they can’t sing it.” 

Creek gave her a look. “You want someone to not sing a song they like?” 

Poppy did not like the way he said that. “I mean, if someone doesn’t like a song, people shouldn’t sing it around them.”

“Branch wasn’t even here.” 

“That doesn’t mean he couldn’t hear it.” 

An orange troll with green hair approached them. “Creek! Thanks for the song rec! Total Eclipse Of the Heart? Man, what a song?!” Poppy turned to Creek with the fiercest glare he had ever seen adorned on her face. She was quick to cover it up with a smile when Aspen turned to her. “But, I gotta say! All Through the Night? What a classic?!” He gave Poppy a pat on the shoulder before heading off. The glare was back on Poppy’s face and Creek feared for his life when she grabbed his wrist and pulled him somewhere private. “What the hair is wrong with you?! You know what happens when he hears that song! You were there!”

Creek’s heartbeat was going wild. She had never yelled at him like that before. She had never _yelled_ at him at all before. He tried to change the subject. “You’ve taken quite the liking to him, haven’t you?”

“Excuse me?!”

“You’re getting too comfortable with this. Just like all the others. You want him to stay this way! Don’t you?! Have you even been looking for the cure?!”

“I already know the cure,” she seethed. By his wide eyes, Poppy was sure he wasn’t expecting that. “Why do you not like him? What has Branch ever done to you?!”

Creek looked shocked at the question. “What has Branch ever done to me? It’s not what he does to me, Poppy. It’s what he does to you!”

“To me?!”

“Yes! To you! Everything he has ever done to you! Every time he didn’t show up to a party! Every time he destroyed a beautiful invitation! Every time he insulted you! Belittled you! Made you cry! That is why I do not like him! And I have done everything to show him that!” Poppy didn’t say a word after that confession. For a second he thought he had won. But then he saw her face. 

“What do you mean by that,” she seethed. 

He gulped. He dodged the question again. “Why do you forgive him every time? Why is it that no matter how many times he hurts you, you forgive him?!”

“Creek, what did you mean by that?!”

She wasn’t going to fall for it this time. “I told him how I felt. I told him he was never going to be one of us with how he is. How he is horrible and he needs to keep his negative emotions away from us. Away from _you_! He is nothing but bad news!”

Poppy felt her heart shatter at his words. How could he say something like that to a gray troll? To someone who needed positivity the most? Something in Poppy clicked. “That’s why he didn’t remember you at first.” 

He reached for her hand. “Poppy, you have to understand-”

Poppy stepped back, away from him. “You make him feel gray!” She couldn’t believe it! No! Not one of her best friends! “I cannot believe you.” She felt like crying. 

Creek couldn’t believe it. No! He was not the bad guy here! “You’re on his side?! Again?! Why?! How many times does he have to make you cry before you realize he doesn’t care about you?!” 

Poppy didn’t know what to say to that.

A light bulb went off in Creek’s head. He really wished it hadn’t. “Oh, my gah… You’re in love with him.”

Poppy’s eyes widened. “No I’m not!” Why did her answer come out with such force?

Creek couldn’t believe it! “It makes so much sense! That’s why you run back to him no matter how many times he hurts you! Because you love him!”

“Stop it, Creek,” she seethed. 

“You know when this ends, he’s not going to treat you like that anymore, right?!”

“Stop it!”

“When this is all over, he will hate you again!”

“Shut up!”

Creek didn’t say a word after that outburst. She wasn’t looking at him, only at her feet. “...Poppy-”

“No!” She finally looked up and that’s when he saw the tears streaming down her eyes. “Do not speak to me... _ever_ again,” she said in between hiccups. As she walked away, she had one last thing to say to him. “Next time you want to sing a song you know someone doesn’t like, _sing it to yourself_.” And with that, she was gone.

Creek stood there feeling ashamed. He did the one thing he had never wanted to do. He made Poppy cry.

# ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜

Poppy was not in love with Branch. She was not! The only reason she was so fixated on him was because she wanted to be his friend! That was it! That was the only reason she always made time for him! A-a-and even if she was, which she wasn’t, she knew he didn’t love her back! It didn’t matter what Mandy had said, the love was a side effect of the shampoo! Branch could never actually love her. He had made that clear all these years.

And, yet, here she was at his Bunker, handing him an invitation. 

Branch’s smile was so wide it hurt! But he was a sucker for Poppy’s invitations! They were like the light of his life...for some reason. Even though he couldn’t remember why, her invitations always warmed his heart. He opened it and laughed when glitter got all over his face. “Oh, Poppy! This is beautiful! I love it!”

Her heart swelled at the compliment. It was so weird seeing Branch accept an invitation instead of destroy it. “Thank you.”

His smile didn’t falter. “I’ll put it with the others.”

...Wait, what? “Others?”

“Yeah, the others!” They started walking towards his office. 

Poppy had seen this room only once on her tour of the Bunker. It’s how she knew about the tubes. But as Branch walked to the curtains, she realized she had never paid those much mind. When he opened the curtains, she gasped. “My invitations.”

Branch placed the new invitation with the others, oblivious to Poppy’s shock. “I kept all the invitations you ever gave me,” he smiled at her. “They make me happy. Just like you.”

Poppy’s heart was beating rapidly. All these years, she had figured they were all destroyed or torn up wherever he kept his trash. But here they all were. In perfect condition. He had kept them all. She stared at Branch with wide eyes as he started recalling the memories of each invite. He would lift each one carefully and look at them with such soft eyes. A single thought ran through Poppy’s mind. 

Branch was in love with her.

# ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜

As Poppy waited for Smidge to gather up the Snack Pack, she couldn’t believe what a crazy day it had been. First the journal, then the bombshell with Creek, and now Branch was in love with her?! That last one had to be the most shocking of them all.

Because she remembered everything. Every time he crushed an invitation. Every time he insulted her. Every time he called her ideals stupid. Every time he ignored her, yelled at her, made her cry. 

But she also remembered the troll who gave her a flower crown on her three quarters birthday. The troll who would sometimes join her in Harper’s art class. The troll who let Guy Diamond stay at his bunker when his pod got destroyed, who came to help during Creek’s bad hair day, who would sometimes help her at the pre-school! That day had been amazing. When the trolling had asked Branch what his favorite part of her was, he had answered her beautiful smile. Back then she had thought he was being sarcastic, but took the compliment anyway. But now she knew he had been telling the truth.

“Gah!” This was all too weird. Branch in love with her?! How was she supposed to make sense of that?! Gah, he was such a bipolar twig! 

“Poppy, I gathered them all!” 

Her head snapped towards her door where Smidge had barely entered. Behind her were Guy Diamond, Satin and Chenille, Biggie, Cooper, Fuzzbert, Dj Suki, and, finally, Creek. Her smile faltered a bit at the sight of the purple troll. She had forgotten to tell Smidge to leave Creek out, but, then again, that would cause her to ask questions. “Ok, guys,” she started once they were all settled. “I have important news!”

Guy raised a brow. “What is it?”

Poppy forced a smile. “I found the cure for Branch!” She did jazz hands for effect.

Creek’s eyes widened. So she had been telling the truth?

The Snack Pack groaned. “Poppy, no!”

Poppy’s face was expressionless as they all continued to complain. 

“Branch has never been cooler,” Suki complained. 

“And he’s such a romantic,” Biggie gushed.

“He’s got good moves,” Cooper complimented. 

“He has the voice of an angel,” the twins awed. 

Fuzzbert hummed in agreement. 

Guy stayed silent.

Poppy sighed. “Hey, right hand troll,” she said to Smidge. “Back me up here!”

“Do I have to?”

“Smidge!”

“Ok, ok!” She turned to the Snack Pack. “C’mon guys, we all know this isn’t really Branch. And, as much as we like this new guy better, it isn’t right.”

Poppy didn’t like how she explained it, but it would have to do. “So, about that cure…”

They all groaned but nonetheless listened. 

She took a deep breath. “In order to bring Branch back to his normal self, I have to...remind him...why he turned gray in the first place.”

They all gasped. And a string of denials followed. Poppy knew it would be like this. Reminding a troll why they were gray? How horrible did a troll have to be?! But it was something that had to be done. She silenced them. “You guys, I can’t just leave him like this!”

“Why not,” Satin begged. “He’s so amazing now!”

“Yes,” her sister agreed.

“He’s so much fun now,” Cooper whined.

“Guys,” she yelled. They all continued to list reasons why Branch was supposedly better now. “Guys!” They continued. She turned her hair into a gavel and banged the table in front of her. That got them to be quiet. Good. “I really hate to do this, I really do. You’re my friends and I love you! But…” She had to do it. She strained the words out. “As Princess of troll village, I order you to help me find the cure.” They all gasped. Even Smidge. She felt like crying. “I’m so sorry.” None of them looked too happy about this. 

Nonetheless, Guy spoke. “Whatta you need us to do?”

Poppy thought about it. “Ask around. Especially elders! They would have to know more. And report anything you find back to me.”

“Ok,” they all reluctantly agreed. They started heading for the door. 

“Guys, wait!” They all stopped and turned to her. She brought out the invitations to her 23rd and Three Quarters birthday party. She handed them all their own, only holding on to Creek’s. She looked at the ground. “I hope you guys come.” 

The Snack Pack all looked at each other and sighed. They all brought Poppy into a hug. 

“Of course we’re coming, girl,” Suki assured. 

“You can count on it,” Biggie agreed. 

Poppy felt hope growing in her heart. “I’m sorry for royally ordering you.”

They all waved it off. 

“If it’s something you would royally order us over,” Chenille started. 

“Then we should be supporting you in this,” Satin finished. 

The others agreed. With one last goodbye, they all left. Except for Creek. 

Creek was feeling very guilty at the moment. He hadn’t meant to make Poppy cry. He just didn’t want her getting her hopes up with Branch. “Poppy,” he stepped towards her. She gave him her full attention, though the air of friendship was absent. “Look, I’m sorry for upsetting you earlier. The last thing I ever wanted to do is make you cross with me. You’re my best friend and I love you. I just didn’t want you getting hurt.”

Poppy sighed. “I know, Creek. But I’m not the one you should be apologizing to.”

“What?”

“You should be apologizing to Branch.”

“What?!”

“You should be apologizing to Branch,” she repeated. “You know, in the journal, it says that a troll who uses the shampoo forgets every reason they are gray. And he didn’t remember you, Creek. That says a lot about how you made him feel. And you need to apologize for that.”

“No.” He was standing his ground. Branch didn’t deserve an apology. Not after everything he did to Poppy. 

“Well, Creek.” She took an invitation out of her hair and handed it to him. “If you really are my friend, I know you’ll do the right thing.” She stood up straight with her head held high. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a party to plan tonight.” She walked out of her own pod, leaving Creek to question himself. 

Branch didn’t deserve an apology. He really didn’t. How many times had he made Poppy cry? How many times had he made Poppy doubt her leadership? How many times did Creek have to pick up the broken pieces after a horrible argument? Too many times! Branch didn’t deserve an apology. Not from him and definitely not from Poppy. She would see. She would see that Branch would never change. And when that happened, she would know who truly loved her. 

With that though, he headed to his own pod. 

Only to find a map taped to his door explaining to meet at the X. He didn’t know this person’s handwriting. He didn’t think it was a prank since Prank Day wasn’t for a few more months. Should he...follow it? 

In the end, he did. And it led him right to a giant rock with a “Go Away” mat on the floor. Was this...the bunker? Branch’s Highly Camouflaged, Heavily Fortified, Bergen Proof Survival Bunker?! 

“Creek!” He turned around to find the rest of the Snack Pack already there. 

“Hi guys,” he greeted, confused. He lifted up the leaf map. “Did you guys get one too?” They all lifted theirs up in response. 

“This is so exciting,” Suki yelled. “We’ve never seen the bunker!”

“I know right,” Chenille gushed, just as amazed. 

“I wonder what it looks like inside!” Biggie’s curiosity was killing him!

“Why don’t you guys come and find out!”

They all turned to the voice to find Branch leaning against a lever. 

“Branch!” They all exclaimed before squishing him into a group hug, which he happily obliged. 

“Hi guys! Step onto the platform! I had to make it bigger once I decided I was gonna have friends over!” They all did so, Creek standing right next to Branch. He didn’t feel very comfortable at the moment.

They all talked animatedly as Branch’s little elevator brought them down. Going down, Creek noticed many rooms and hallways on every side, lit up by bugs. If Branch was happy now, why did he want to stay down here? 

“Can I get you guys anything to drink? Tea, juice?”

“What kind of Juice,” Smidge questioned. 

“Stoutberry,” Branch answered happily. 

Smidge almost gasped. “How did you get stoutberry juice? They’re not even in season?!”  
“No, they’re not,” Branch explained happily. “But, everytime they are, I pick as much as I can. I juice them and keep what I don’t need frozen to preserve it. And with the fruit itself, I create dried fruit snacks.” The Snack Pack couldn’t believe what they were hearing. That just sounded so… Branch! “Would you guys like to try some? It’s ok! I have enough to last me three years. Seven if I don’t eat them every day.”

Smidge shrugged. It did sound delicious. “I think I’ll try some!” The rest of the Snack Pack agreed. 

Soon, they were all in Branch’s office, each with a small bowl of dried Stoutberries and a cup of Stoutberry Juice. Even Creek, who hadn’t exactly asked for one, but didn’t deny it when it was handed to him. 

Branch stood before them, where a bulletin board stood. “Ok, so, I bet you’re all wondering why I called you here today of all days!” 

“Pretty much, yeah,” Suki confirmed before throwing a dried fruit piece in her mouth. 

“Ok, so I’m assuming you all have an invitation to the party tonight?” 

“Oh, definitely,” Cooper yelled, taking out his invitation and presenting it to Branch. The others followed suit.

“Great!” Branch smiled at the invitations. A part of him was a bit smug that all of theirs looked similar and nothing like his glitter exploding one. 

“You know, I never understood why she throws her own Three-quarters-birthday party,” Chenille voiced. 

“We’d be happy to throw it for her,” Satin nodded, understanding what her sister meant. 

“Oh, well, that’s because on her thirteenth and three-quarters birthday, she thought you all forgot about it,” Branch explained. “So she throws it herself, every year, so she never feels that hurt again.”

The entire Snack Pack’s eyes widened. “How do you know this,” Guy asked. He didn’t even know this! He just figured Poppy liked planning her own party.

Branch’s smile was so wide it hurt. “That’s exactly what I’m leading up to! You see, Poppy and I first met on her thirteenth and three-quarters birthday. She was chasing a Chorusfly when I saw her, and she was chasing it right into a cliff! But she didn’t see it because there were bushes hiding it! So I had caught her just in time. I walked her home and she started talking about how everyone forgot her three-quarters birthday, so I made her a present to cheer her up.” 

“That flower crown was from you,” Biggie asked, astonished. 

“Yup,” Branch smiled proudly. “Which means today has marked ten years since we officially met! So, I’m planning the perfect date tonight.”

“The party is tonight,” Creek interjected, not too happy with this. He was trying very hard to hide his disdain for all of this. 

“So glad you mentioned that, Creek, because~!” He flipped the board around to show a drawing and arrows, perfectly placed in order. “I have a plan. And I need you guys to help me execute it.”

# ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜

The party had gone off without a hitch! There was music, there was singing, there was hugging, and, most importantly, there was cake! Oh, Poppy loved cake! Especially Trollberry cake! She loved the flavor with _her entire life_! So as she scarfed down a slice, she almost missed the statement from Mags Gumdrop. 

“Oh, your father used to scarf that down just as fast as you,” She laughed. 

Poppy swallowed her cake. “What are you talking about? I thought my dad hated this flavor?” 

“Nope,” the elder troll laughed. “He loved it! Back at the troll tree, he couldn’t get enough of it!” She stopped laughing after a second. “I think I heard one of my grandkids calling! It was nice talking to you, your highness.” 

“And to you too,” Poppy called after. That was...weird. She was completely sure her dad hated this flavor. He would always gag at how sweet it was! Maybe his tastebuds weren’t what they used to be? But there had been instances _before_ where she would be compared to her dad about things that were just too different from him. Like when she was a kid, older ladies would always say she was lucky to be born with her dad’s glitter freckles, but her dad didn’t have glitter freckles. Or the time Suki’s Great Aunt Gertrude had complimented her pink eyes. “Just like your father’s,” she had said. But her dad had hazel eyes. These little instances always rubbed her the wrong way because she had no clue what they were talking about. Her dad wasn’t anything like they said. Unless they weren’t talking about her dad. Was it possible that she had another-

“Poppy!” 

Her trail of thought was broken by Smidge’s voice. “Smidge, what’s wrong?” It sounded urgent. 

“Nothing,” she answered with a sweet smile. “Branch is looking for you~!”

“Oh,” Poppy looked around. She hadn't seen him since she had given him his invitation. She didn’t know how to feel about seeing him again after learning what she had that morning. Or learning what she had _yesterday_ . It was all just so weird. To know that all this time, through every sarcastic remark, every argument, every demeaning insult, _he was in love with her_. How did someone just take in something like that? “I don’t see him anywhere?”

“He’s by the punch bowl on the edge of the village,” Smidge explained, executing step one of the plan; Get Poppy Alone. 

Poppy couldn’t help but chuckle. Even after loving parties, he still hung out at the quietest spots. “Thanks, Smidge.” 

“No problem,” She playfully saluted her. As she watched Poppy leave, she knew it was up to Creek, Biggie, Fuzzbert, and the twins to execute step two; No Idle Chit Chat. She had to get to Branch at a certain time, so there was no time for talking.

# ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜

Branch smiled when he saw Poppy coming at the exact time he had planned. “Poppy,” he called, grabbing her attention. His heart swelled at her smile, which grew when she saw him. How did he become so lucky to have this angel as his girlfriend?! “I’m really glad you’re here,” he said, grabbing her hand. He loved how perfectly it fit in his. 

“It’s my party,” she laughed. “Where else would I be?” 

“Oh, I can think of some other place,” he muttered to himself. 

“What was that?” She didn’t catch that over the music. 

“Oh, it was nothing,” he lied. He could feel his smile growing by the second. Any minute now, Cooper, Suki, and Guy would execute step three; Make A Big Distraction. He planned one that would be so big, no one would notice the princess was gone! And they could have their date in peace until step five; Bring Poppy Back Before Midnight. She had to blow out her Three-Quarters-Birthday candles, after all. 

He heard a huge explosion and knew the Distraction had started. Soon, the sky was filled with glitter and sequins and fireworks while an amazing song of his own creation played in the background. Every troll stared at the blast, mesmerized by its beauty. Branch laughed a little when he saw that even Poppy was staring at it with such adoration. He gently guided her towards the forest. Once the light was covered by the trees, Poppy seemed to break from her trance. “Wait, where are we going?!” 

“That’s a surprise,” he smiled smugly. “C’mon, let’s go!” He started running, dragging her along. 

It was a while before they stopped. Poppy wondered what on earth he was doing. He turned to her with a giant smile. “Close your eyes.”

“Why?” Usually, she would have closed her eyes, trusting Branch without a second thought. But, looking around at the dark, eerie forest they were in, she wasn’t so sure. That smile that grew when she asked him, though, eased a bunch worries.

“You’re going to love this, just trust me.”

Poppy nodded before closing her eyes. He let go of her hand and she heard footsteps walking around her. And after a bit, she saw light grow behind her eyelids. Oh, she wanted to open her eyes so badly, but she had to trust Branch. He was back to holding her hands after a minute. 

“Ok, you can open them now.” 

When she opened them, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Glowbugs of all colors lit up the clearing beautifully! Right in the middle was a picnic blanket with all kinds of fruits and sweets laid out! And when she looked up, she noticed that branches and leaves had been moved so that the full moon could be seen from where they were. It was all just so… Perfect.

She turned to Branch, speechless. “Branch, what is all this?” 

His smile never wavered. “You don’t remember this place, do you?” 

She looked around, trying to pinpoint anything familiar. There wasn’t a time she could remember ever being this deep in the forest. She turned back to Branch, shaking her head. 

“It was ten years ago,” he explained. “I saw the young princess running through a forest and I followed to make sure she was safe.” He looked around the place fondly before looking back at her. “And I knew that day that she always would be as long as I was around.”

Poppy’s eyes widened. No way! This wasn’t… She looked around the place again, in a new light. “This is where we first met.”

Branch smile was so wide it hurt. She did remember! “It is.” 

“Oh, my gah. Branch!” She let out a laugh filled with emotion. “I don’t know what to say!” 

Branch didn’t say anything, he just grabbed her hand and led her to the blanket. “I have all of your favorite foods here,” he explained. “Which one do you want to eat first?” 

Poppy had chosen to eat some strawberry pieces first as they talked the hour away! Branch had been recounting his days in the bunker and missions he had gone one deep in the forest to get certain supplies. Poppy had told him about adventures with her father and how fun it was being Acting Queen on some days. Neither of them ever missed a beat. Where one went silent, the other always had a story to tell. It was like it had always been this easy to talk to Branch. 

She took a bite of a blueberry before continuing her story. “So, I just knew this time I was not going to lose this snow day! So, I hid ice packs in my hair, along with a snowball. And when all the snow was melted and gone, I struck!” She laughed just when he did. “You should’ve seen his face! Oh, he was not expecting that!” 

Branch loved it when she talked about herself! She was always so full of energy and mirth. It was like nothing could bring her down. “No, I bet he wasn’t!” He laughed with her. He could spend the rest of his life laughing with her. “Poppy.”

Poppy stopped laughing when he said her name. The way he said it made it seem like he wanted to say something important. “Yeah?” 

“I’m really glad that you're in my life.” When he said those words, bugs and flora around them started harmonizing. “I don’t know what I would do without you.” He started getting up. “I care about you more than anyone else in the world.” He held out a hand to her. And as she looked up at him, the glow bugs behind him, and the moon shining on him just perfectly, she couldn’t help but grab it. In a quick motion, she was up, one hand still holding hers and one on her waist. Her heart started beating faster as she looked into his crystal blue eyes filled with sincerity. “And, I honestly can’t remember what held me back from telling you all of this. But I’m not going to hold back anymore. Because…” He started to sing. 

_I can't fight this feeling any longer_

_And yet I'm still afraid to let it flow_

He started moving his feet, bringing her into a soft waltz.

_What started out as friendship has grown stronger_

_I only wish I had the strength to let it show_

He prodded her away with a twirl. 

_I tell myself that I can't hold out forever_

_I said there is no reason for my fear_

He brought her back with another twirl, this time leaving her back to him as he hugged her from behind.

_'Cause I feel so secure when we're together_

_You give my life direction, you make everything so clear_

He turned her around so that they were facing each other again.

_And even as I wander, I'm keeping you in sight_

_You're a candle in the window on a cold, dark winter's night_

They started waltzing towards the bushes...where a cliff hid behind! He was not waltzing them towards it! He couldn’t be!

_And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might_

She closed her eyes, bracing for the fall… But it never came. When she opened her eyes, she was graced with an amazing sight!

_And I can't fight this feeling anymore_

They were standing on glowbugs! She watched in awe as a swarm of them in all different colors flew by! Wait! Was that Sprite as the leader?!

_I've forgotten what I started fighting for_

She turned to Branch, her smile wide, as they started dancing once again, the glowbugs in perfect sync with their steps. 

_It's time to bring this ship into the shore_

_And throw away the oars, forever_

He twirled her, making her dress flare with life.

_'Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore_

_I've forgotten what I started fighting for_

She had never known Branch was capable of this!

_And if I have to crawl upon the floor, come crashing through your door_

_Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore_

This was all so beautiful and perfect and amazing! It was everything she could ever dream! 

_My life has been such a whirlwind since I saw you_

_I've been running round in circles in my mind_

Was this how Branch truly was? Without all that paranoia and anxiety and fear of being eaten? 

_And it always seems that I'm following you, girl_

_'Cause you take me to the places that alone I'd never find_

With another twirl, he brought her back to him.

_And even as I wander, I'm keeping you sight_

_You're a candle in the window on a cold, dark winter's night_

He lifted her chin with his hand, making sure their eyes met. Were his eyes always this blue?

_And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might_

A thrill went down her spine as he grabbed her by the waist, lifting her up in the air as the glowbugs flew around them.

_And I can't fight this feeling anymore_

_I've forgotten what I started fighting for_

All too soon she was back on her own bugs.

_It's time to bring this ship into the shore_

_And throw away the oars, forever_

They waltzed their way through the air, in perfect sync with each other.

_'Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore_

_I've forgotten what I started fighting for_

He twirled her away from him.

_And if I have to crawl upon the floor, come crashing through your door_

With another expert twirl, he brought her back to him, bringing her into a dip.

_Baby, I can't fight this feeling..._

The music was growing lower, coming to a close. And Branch knew it was time for step four; The First Kiss. 

_...Anymore_

He closed his eyes and leaned forward.

Poppy’s eyes fluttered closed. A moonlit picnic. In the place they met exactly ten years ago. It was all so romantic and perfect. _Branch_ was so romantic and perfect. She wondered why she had never seen it before. 

...The shampoo!

Their lips brushed the moment she pushed him away. Which was probably something she should’ve thought about seeing as she was now falling to her death. 

“Poppy!” 

Something wrapped around her ankle. In the next moment, she was in Branch’s arms and the bugs were rushing them to land. The moment she was on her feet, Branch hugged her. “Are you ok?” He broke the hug to get a good look at her. “You’re not hurt?!”

He looked so worried. “I-I’m fine! Really, I’m fine.” 

“That’s great.” He sighed in relief. But, there was still a question on his mind. “Why did you push away? Did I do something wrong?”

“No! No, Branch! Everything was perfect! _Tonight_ was perfect. But…” Poppy took a deep breath. If she tried to explain the potion again, he wouldn’t believe her. He had it in his mind that she had finally helped him become happy. She thought of the next best lie. “I’m just not ready.” Not now. Not when he wasn’t himself. 

It hit her like an avalanche. She missed the real Branch. She missed his sarcasm, she missed his paranoid rants, she missed his insults, his ‘crazy prepared’ attitude! Hair! She even missed his usual ‘The Bergens Are Coming’ episodes! Sure, this Branch was nice. He adored her, his singing was akin to an angel, his dancing was beautiful, and he was a lot more calm and open. And, even though this was what she always wished he could be, this wasn’t how she wanted it to happen. Not with a potion that stripped away important parts of his life, but with a breakthrough moment where they stayed in the bunker, talking and crying for hours and hours and he would finally admit that he wanted to be happy. She wanted that with Branch. She wanted to know everything about him, from him, before their first kiss because… because…

Because she was in love with him. 

She gasped when he lifted her chin to meet his eyes. His kind, smiling eyes. “Hey, it’s ok,” he assured. “If you’re not ready, I can wait. I waited ten years to tell you how I feel, I can wait for however long I have to for this. I love you, Poppy.” Her heart started beating faster. He hadn’t said that since his first confession. He leaned in, giving her a small peck on her forehead. “You’re not wearing your headband.” He was right, she wasn’t. She had let a small trolling, Keith, wear it and he had run off before she could ask for it back. “I’ll make you a new one,” he assured her before grabbing her hand and taking her to some flowers. And just like the day they had met, she stood still as he placed the crown on her head.

“Do... I look pretty?” 

“Yes.” He smiled softly at her. “Let’s get back to the party, now!” 

“Ok.” He grabbed her hand and they started walking. She looked at the picnic. “What about all the-”

“I’ll take care of that later,” he assured her. “But, we really should be leaving now if you wanna make it to your Candles before midnight.” 

They had made it on time. And as Poppy blew out her candles, with Branch right by her side, she really wished she hadn’t just realized her feelings. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, those of you who read Taken the Wrong Way, you were probably expecting an update for that. I tried. I really did try! But I just can't stay focused on one story! Motivation for this one hit me like a ton of bricks!!! So, I just had to write it down!!! Anyway! GOODNESS!!! We are already halfway through this story!!! I hope you all enjoy it!!!!  
> Here is a better quality of the animation. I made it into this shitty gif because I really wanted to put it in the story, but I didn't now how to add videos.  
> https://tipolover22.tumblr.com/post/624228690627264512/this-is-a-beautiful-animation-i-have-been-working#notes


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